Seqwater supplied about 343,554 ML of drinking water through its five retailer customers in FY 2025-26, about 5.4% more than the 326,060 ML of FY 2024-25. Seqwater's Water Security Program puts the level of service yield of the existing system at 430,000 ML a year under historical climate. Last year's supply used about 80% of that.
A shrinking margin under a warmer climate
The same modeling projects the yield falling to 325,000 ML a year by 2051 under future climate conditions, below what retailers drew in FY 2025-26. Regional demand is projected to rise from about 300,000 ML a year to about 500,000 ML a year over 30 years, mainly because of population growth. Depending on those assumptions, Seqwater's March 2026 annual report on the program says new supply is needed by about 2030/31.
New supply runs later than planned
The 2023 program proposed delivering an expanded Gold Coast Desalination Plant and the Wyaralong Water Treatment Plant by 2030/31. Wyaralong, estimated above A$1 billion including owner's costs, shortlisted two bidders in September 2025 and is targeting first water in 2032. The desalination expansion was rescoped in FY 2025-26. Neither is yet under a construction contract.
A source still to be chosen for 2035
The 2023 program also proposed a major new water source by 2035. In July 2026 the Queensland Government gave Seqwater A$10 million to identify a new dam site. Seqwater's next Water Security Program is due in 2028.
The full report explains which dams and plants carry the region's supply, who decides on new sources and prices, how the A$534.8 million FY 2025-26 capital program was spent, and which dates in 2028 matter most. The full report, Water Systems Overview: Seqwater, is available for USD 499 at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/reports/water-systems-overview-seqwater. For a free overview, read the Seqwater Utility Snapshot at https://ourfuturewaterintelligence.com/utilities/seqwater.